I am requesting you rescind the recent brief your Solicitor General provided to the Supreme
Court for the pending Rinehart case, 16-970.

The brief that was prepared on your behalf is flawed in that it failed to answer the question
before the court, conflicts with the intent of congress, frustrates the long history of mining case
law in America, and is inconsistent with the objectives of President Trump to increase
environmentally sound development of natural resources on federally managed lands.

This case, associated with a moratorium which has put thousands of America’s hard-working,
independent miners out of business for nearly a decade, is being fought against the very same
environmental extremists who have challenged the Trump Team’s efforts to open up energy
development on the federal lands and waters of the United States.

The Solicitor General’s brief was written by an Obama administration holdover, Assistant Solicitor General, LANE
N. MCFADDEN. Assistant Solicitor General McFadden is the very same person who briefed the California Supreme
Court that States should have the authority to impose regulations upon mining on the federal lands that can be so
burdensome; the regulations can be designed to kill mining altogether. That is where we find
ourselves in California and Oregon today – shut down forever unless we are given an impartial
review by the Supreme Court.

Mr. McFadden’s more recent brief to the U.S. Supreme Court basically makes the same leftist
arguments.

It is troubling to see arguments in support of preventing mining being made to the Supreme
Court by the Solicitor General’s Office. We are hopeful that Mr. McFadden
is just one of many swamp creatures you have been hunting that remain in public service for the
purpose of killing the American dream. We know the swamp runs deep and that it will take time
to clean house. Here is one place where a swamp creature is showing his true objectives in your
name.

The implications of allowing left-leaning State authorities to completely obstruct development of
minerals on the federal lands will have catastrophic consequences to the future of America’s
economy. I know I don’t need to tell you that we cannot make America great again unless we
open back up our domestic source of minerals. This, especially true in view of Mr. Trump’s
Executive Order dated December 19th directing his deputies to expand mineral development in
America.

Several other States have since followed California’s unscrupulous behavior and have issued
similar obstructive regulation on federally managed lands.

I am enclosing a letter written by the attorney who has helped us all the way from the beginning.
He expresses my concerns in legal terms that may be helpful.

Please rescind your current brief and present an explanation to the Court that is consistent with
the clear intention of congress and 200 years of Supreme Court precedent. This must be acted
upon quickly because the Rinehart case will be considered by the Supreme Court on the 5th of
January.